Mt. Rose, NV…Mt Rose Ski Tahoe has submitted plans to the US Forest Service and Washoe County for major improvements to the resort.Included in the proposal are plans for new terrain, additional lifts, snowmaking improvements, as well as various facility enhancements. Over the next 10 years, this $23.5 million effort would continue to transform the resort into a key destination attraction as well as a favorite local winter recreation spot. Highlighting this next phase is the potential inclusion of the adjacent “Atoma” terrain which is located on the north side of SR 431. Working in cooperation with the US Forest Service, Mt. Rose looks to expand skiing services onto this 99 acre parcel to complement the beginner terrain on the Mt. Rose side of the mountain. This open, mosaic-glade style skiing would make for a unique lower level snow experience combining open runs with pods of trees intermixed throughout the new area.

atoma project

With the proposed addition of the Atoma terrain, the run from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the Atoma area would become one of the longest low level trails in the Lake Tahoe area… almost 3.5 miles. This journey would include the Around-the-World experience, the transition trails through the trees off Galena, the adventure of crossing a skier bridge over the

Mt. Rose highway, and then the exploration of the scenic new Atoma terrain. Included on this trip are views of Lake Tahoe, Reno vistas, the Washoe Valley and the Nevada desert ranges to the east. A unique and attractive feature of this terrain would be the proposed skier bridge over the Mt. Rose highway. Situated just up the highway from the entrance to the main lodge, this scenic bridge will connect the existing Mt. Rose trails to the new Atoma terrain.

Within this proposal are new lifts to further enhance the guest experience at Mt. Rose. The
ski bridge
An example of the proposed skier bridge

Atoma return lift would be approximately 3500′ long and provide a unique ride in that it would cross the Mt. Rose highway to return skiers and snowboarders to the main trails. The existing Ponderosa & Galena Lifts would be combined into a single high-speed, 5000′ long lift which would greatly reduce the time it takes to reach the top of the Galena terrain. Since these lifts accommodate primarily lower ability level guests, the detachable nature of the new chair would provide a much more accommodating (user friendly) chair loading & unloading, thus improving the overall guest experience. Another lift enhancement is the extension of the Lakeview lift which would involve moving the unload station just over the current top knob. This lengthening of the chair would not only expose skiers and snowboards to vast views of Lake Tahoe, but more readily access the three finger trails that currently feed into the Wild Card return trail.

mtn top restaurant concept
Mountaintop restaurant concept

Other proposed major improvements that will round out this undertaking include a mountaintop restaurant and a new guest locker building.Within walking distance of the top of the Northwest Magnum 6, an exciting new restaurant is being proposed with dramatic 270 degree views from Lake Tahoe to Virginia Peak.This cozy facility would be designed to hold approximately 75 to 100 guests for a full-service dining experience. Located at the Slide Bowl, the guest locker building would accommodate 500-1000 lockers to meet the demand from our growing season passholder base.

Additional changes include the expansion of the main lodge to include a remodeled and larger Rosebuds Children’s center, plus a new First Aid facility. A new Mountain Operations Center at the Slide Bowl would replace the current shop near the main lodge.Snowmaking improvements are also in the plan and include the construction of a one-acre pond to increase storage capacity near the existing tank above the Galena terrain.

Many of the planned improvements would be located on National Forest System lands operated by Mt. Rose under Special Use Permit from the USDA-Forest Service. The resort is presently working with representatives of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to initiate an environmental analysis of the proposed projects in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As this review process gets under way, there will be a number of opportunities for the public to gain a more in-depth understanding of the proposal and to participate in the review.